Description:

Millard & Caroline Fillmore Signed Music Book, "The Plain Gold Ring" & Other Songs

A beautifully bound music book signed by 13th U.S. President Millard Fillmore (1800-1874) in his second wife Caroline's name, as well as 3x signed by Caroline C. Fillmore (1813-1881) herself. Millard Fillmore's signature of his wife's name appears as "Mrs Caroline C. Fillmore" in pencil on the front loose endpaper, while Caroline signs using her maiden name (see a detailed listing below.) With isolated pencil inscriptions including piano finger markings found throughout. Deaccessioned from the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Library, the institution founded by Millard and Abigail Fillmore. Hardcover, with quarter red leather spine and spandrels, and an inlaid red leather name panel at center gilt embossed "Mrs Caroline C. Fillmore". Also featuring dramatic brown, blue, and orange-veined marbleized covers. The gilt-embossed spine bears a Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society original library call number label. Expected wear to cover edges and corners. Scattered foxing, ghost printing impressions, and one repaired page, else very good to near fine. 10.375" x 13.625" x .75". Folio.

This book of antebellum sheet music contains some of Caroline's favorites for voice and piano. "Love thee Dearest!", "The Plain Gold Ring", "She never blam'd him never", "In Happier Hours", and "The Dashing white Sergeant" are among the 20+ American and European published ballads, duets, and popular melodies custom bound into this luxurious, vividly colored book. Caroline C. Fillmore's signatures appear in the volume in the following places: 1. Pen signed, inscribed, and dated "Caroline Carmichael / Morristown, New Jersey - 1831" on the title page of "The Song of Chatellar, to Mary Queen of Scots", music by William Ball 2. Pen signed and inscribed "Caroline Carmichael / Morristown" on the title page of "Alice Gray, A Ballad", music by Mrs. P. Millard 3. Pen signed "C Carmichael -- " on the title page of "Sigh not for Summer flowers", music by H.R. Bishop.

As her signature indicates, the future Mrs. Millard Fillmore collected these music sheets when she was an unmarried girl. Caroline's parents Charles Carmichael and Temperance Blachley Carmichael, residents of Morristown, New Jersey, died in 1818 and 1824 respectively, and Caroline's only sibling Alexander died at age 21 in 1826. Caroline married first husband Ezekiel C. McIntosh (1806-1855), an affluent Troy, New York businessman and railroad executive, in 1832; their marriage would last until McIntosh's death in 1855. Caroline married second husband and ex-President Millard Fillmore in 1858. The newly married Fillmores signed a pre-nuptial agreement to protect Caroline's fortune and later settled in Buffalo, where they ranked among the city's leading socialites and philanthropists. From books in her personal library, we know that Caroline was interested in art, theater, music, literature, current events, politics, religion, manufacturing, sports, weather, humor, and human interest.

Books were also important to Caroline's second husband. Millard Fillmore had been a lover of books since boyhood. By the time he reached adulthood, his library differed little from those found in families of wealth and education. Yet Fillmore was born into a poor family and became an indentured servant. His responsibilities, which ranged from farming, accounting, wood-cutting, and textile-making, prevented him from receiving a continuous education. So Fillmore educated himself. Motivated by a thirst for knowledge and a growing awareness of his comprehensive deficiencies, Fillmore read voraciously - using a dictionary to learn the meaning of words he didn't understand. Fillmore taught himself to read, and as he could not afford to buy books, sometimes he stole them. Still obsessed with his education, he attended school in a nearby town, and his teacher, Abigail Powers, encouraged his studies. In time, she became the most influential and trusted person in his life. Abigail helped him learn with precision, and on subjects where they both lacked knowledge, they studied together.

Fillmore realized when he later moved away that he had been "unconsciously stimulated by the companionship" of his teacher, but, too poor to visit Abigail Powers, they did not see each other for three years. In the interim, he apprenticed to a lawyer, began to teach professionally in the city of Buffalo, and was able to begin a law practice across the street from which he built a home to share with his new wife. When Millard Fillmore went to the state capital in Albany to serve a term in the state legislature, his wife stayed behind and began to purchase books of literature, poetry, and the classics to build upon his collection of law books at home, the core of what would become their personal library. Together, the Fillmores established a lending library and college in the city: the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Library.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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